Of Feminism and Semantics

[Seniwac]

[Rain]

http://www.feministing.com/archives/015058.html

>_> The last part is so offensive I want to punch everyone where the sun doesn't shine, regardless of gender, involved in that commercial.

*facepalm*

[ZetaBladeX13]

^ Yeah, that's pretty sexist


again, Nintendo Wii innuendos = *facepalm*
but still..... LOL XD

[Hanyou]

[Twat]

[Twat]

Like seriously. This is a banner I came across while surfing Dr. McNinja.

...Are you ready?
[spoiler][/spoiler]That's it. That's the ad. It's so weak yet given the world we live in, a viable choice. It's sad. :x

[ZetaBladeX13]

Am I supposed to be surprised?

[Riseatrance]

[scy]

You know, I sat here for awhile completely confused.

Then I realized, AdBlock Plus was killing it.

I give it a resounding "Meh." To be honest though, that's more because someone somewhere thought that passed as an "advertisement" as opposed to the content.

[spoiler]Curiosity has me ask though ... what exactly is it an ad for? Shots of breasts? Cleavage? Revealing brassiere? Shit, a lawyer?

...damn, this means they won the battle.[/spoiler]

[Vapour Trail]

[G Wanderer]

[Rain]

This is slightly OT from the semantics part, but I really have to express my disdain for the song 'Don't Trust Me' by the band 3OH!3. Here's a small article that sort of explains it:
http://music-mix.ew.com/2009/03/3oh3s-dont-trus.html

I hadn't heard of the song (lol i live in a caveololol) until I heard it on my iPod touch through the Tap Tap Revenge 2 app. I'd read the line ("Shush girl, shut your lips / Do the Helen Keller and talk with your hips") before on Facebook and other sites and but I really didn't pay much attention to it. But after a while, I noticed it was pretty popular, especially amongst teenage girls.

Then it was just wtf.

What pisses me most about it is that it's misogynistic and teenage girls are the ones praising it. I know the song can be catchy, but really, how are you not insulted by a song like that? I know a lot of artists attack and make fun of events, people, whatever in their songs, but it's just damn special when a majority of those who like the song are those who are being insulted.

Why are many teenagers (I know it's not everyone, but let's face it, a lot of them listen to this shit and don't give a damn; that = kj;ewrkljk;') so stupid today that they listen and praise songs that insult and degrade them into nothing but sex symbols and what not? And I really doubt that the band 3OH!3 wrote it out of stupidity (well, okay, maybe they did as if you analyze the lyrics they make no sense what-so-ever) considering how their other songs also portray women in a negative light.

Blah, sorry if that didn't make sense whatsoever. I guess that pissed me off and other things <_< anyway, yeah.

This is the song for those who haven't heard it. Yeah, it sucks.
[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FlTE5j7aEf0[/youtube]


Oh, and as for the male/female [insert occupation here], I agree that it wouldn't be fair to give a special title for a woman by adding female, and just the occupation title for the males, but perhaps, with the increase of women in the scientific field, this will be less of an issue in the future?

[scy]

In regards to the title for TV/Movies/etc., predominately female jobs that have a Male playing it are given "A Male" before it much like female ones (notably "A Male Nurse", "A Male Flight Attendant", and so forth). Quite a few jobs that are getting closer to even split always use the gender title distinction for roles. I don't really have any real life examples off the top of my head but I can pretty much guess it is very much a "female Engineer" in my world.

And, to be honest, I don't have a problem with that. Pick a random job and what is the AVERAGE mental image of that position? Not in terms of dress and all that but just the gender. Just the way life is.

I don't really care about the lyrics and the "degrading" (mostly due to being a guy) and find the hyperbole rather unnecessary. Yeah yeah, fine, it can be rather degrading if you take it personally but, seriously, it's just a lyric in a (bad) song. It isn't bringing about the end of women as we know it or making them all into sex symbols. I agree that it is a dumb line and the meaning behind it is rather blatantly sexual but I just can't really get behind the whole "NOTHING BUT SEX SYMBOLS" train of thought.

And, for what it's worth, the average teenager and college girl will take that very line and act on it. Pop culture blah blah blah and all that noise. It isn't like if it was a more "tasteful" song that it'd matter; it probably wouldn't be as popular and noone would care. The fanbase for it is very much one that is in tune with the "message" of that song. To those, "sex sells" is of great importance. Many of them are the ones who get their sense of empowerment through the "sex symbol" view.

There's a lot of popularity with pop culture that ultimately demeans their fanbase. A case of Viewers Are Morons, I suppose, or just that some people don't care. Such is life.

I'd also like to take the time to say that video and song are terrible.

[Seniwac]

[Vapour Trail]